Is This A Come-On? 'Cause It's A Little Weird.

[rionaleonhart]

I'm up to episode 2.06 of Dexter, 'Dex, Lies and Videotape'!

I'm entertained by how quietly grateful Dexter is whenever someone praises the Butcher's murders. He just really wants people to like him, murders and all! He wants you to call him a good murder boy, and if you do he will immediately decide that he likes you.

I love the Bay Harbour Butcher plotline, incidentally. It's so much fun to see Dexter's reactions to his murders being brought into the public eye. And his 'no, he'd never hurt you' when Cody has nightmares about the Butcher!

You know, around halfway through the first season, I assumed with complete confidence that the show was going in a Debra/Doakes direction. I keep being surprised when it introduces non-Doakes love interests for Debra. They have good chemistry, and Doakes' mistrust of Dexter would create an interesting tension!

I'm now seeing some weird chemistry between Debra and the FBI agent in charge of catching Dexter, but I can't trust that I'm not imagining things after my Deb/Doakes conviction! Maybe Deb automatically has chemistry with anyone who's trouble for Dexter. She would not be thrilled to learn that.

They might be going for a fatherly relationship between Deb and Agent Lundy? They're probably going for a fatherly relationship. But somehow these two keep feeling like they're about to have age-inappropriate makeouts.

(Addendum, having seen 'Dex, Lies and Videotape': maybe I'm not imagining things??)

It's interested to see Dexter attacking someone in an uncontrolled, uncalculated way in 'The Dark Defender'. And also biting down on the blade of a kitchen knife to hold it between his teeth. Weirdly compelling. It's probably cause for some concern that I rewound to rewatch that knife bite seven times.

Enjoying the homoeroticism of Dexter laying his mother's murderer outstretched on a pool table, climbing on top of him and snarling into his face.

There's generally some great desperation and vulnerability from Dexter in this episode. It's also interesting to see him making a genuine effort not to do a murder, when his attitude up to this point has been 'yes, I murder people, I enjoy it, I don't want to stop and in any case I don't believe that I'm capable to stopping'.

There's an attack dog quality to Dexter that makes me think he'd do well as a Person of Interest operative. Well, he'd do well up to a point. If he develops loyalty to Finch, he will absolutely go out to protect people on Finch's orders. But he'll keep murdering people in the process, despite Finch's protests.

Forget all the murders; I think the most fucked-up thing about Dexter Morgan is the fact that, when he gets a text message, his phone full-on rings. What's wrong with you, Dexter?

Comments

[lokifan]

Forget all the murders; I think the most fucked-up thing about Dexter Morgan is the fact that, when he gets a text message, his phone full-on rings. What's wrong with you, Dexter?

FREAK!!!

[rionaleonhart]

Why would you want your text messages to sound like phone calls, Dexter?? That's just unnecessarily stressful! There is so much wrong with you.

[wolfy_writing]

Dexter really wants someone to approve of his murders and be proud of him because of how well he does them! Pat him on the head and tell him he's a good boy and he's fully prepared to kill for you!

It is interesting as Dexter's feelings start showing up more and he does an uncalculated murder. Dexter is an unreliable narrator about certain things, especially his own emotional state, and I think the show actually captures that well. (Also that's way more interesting than "This person genuinely doesn't feel anything.")

Dexter on Person of Interest would be messy, yeah. He'd be easily won over, but "I am definitely going to do my own murders on the side" would be a problem.

[rionaleonhart]

Pat him on the head and tell him he's a good boy and he's fully prepared to kill for you!

This is so true, and also delightful.

Also that's way more interesting than "This person genuinely doesn't feel anything."

It really is! The possibility that Dexter might genuinely not feel anything was my biggest concern at the start of the show; it's hard for me to care about a character who doesn't care about anything. But he absolutely cares!

The numbers end up being a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy if Dexter is working with the Machine, I feel.

[apiphile]

He just really wants people to like him, murders and all! He wants you to call him a good murder boy, and if you do he will immediately decide that he likes you.

That man is ACHING for recognition and praise!

Maybe it's just that Deb has a lot of chemistry with a lot of people on account of being very cool.

It's interested to see Dexter attacking someone in an uncontrolled, uncalculated way in 'The Dark Defender'. And also biting down on the blade of a kitchen knife to hold it between his teeth. Weirdly compelling. It's probably cause for some concern that I rewound to rewatch that knife bite seven times.

I realise I'm not speaking from a position of neutrality here but I personally think watching a man bite a knife seven times is reasonable on account of it being very sexy.

There's generally some great desperation and vulnerability from Dexter in this episode.

Mr I Don't Have Any Feelings

Forget all the murders; I think the most fucked-up thing about Dexter Morgan is the fact that, when he gets a text message, his phone full-on rings. What's wrong with you, Dexter?

That is so fucking weird.

[rionaleonhart]

Deb is very cool, and your hypothesis makes a lot of sense!

I personally think watching a man bite a knife seven times is reasonable on account of it being very sexy.

I knew you'd understand.